The women’s basketball team Gators (7-2) failed to keep up with the high-octane attack of the South Carolina Gamecocks (6-1) on Thursday, losing 75-59. The game was the SEC’s first game of the season for both teams.
Final | @aa_boston ends with a 2⃣8⃣ career record while Gamecocks open the SEC game with a win! pic.twitter.com/3nO9GJ2VoM
– GamecockWBB (@GamecockWBB) December 31, 2020
Gamecocks had two players scoring at least 20 points in the contest, while the Gators had only one double-digit player.
The Aliyah Boston Show
Entering Thursday’s match, center Aliyah Boston came in second on the team with 11.5 points per game and dominated the field with 9.7 rebounds per game. Their numbers against the Gators just filled those numbers.
In the first half alone, Boston secured a double-double with 19 points in 8-0f-12 shots, adding 11 rebounds. At the end of the game, the pre-season All-SEC team’s first selection scored 28 points, collected 16 rebounds and blocked four shots.
Boston had no problem finding separation within the paint and draining the medium-range jumper. But, she also showed her reach of the 3-point line, making 3 of 5 beyond the arc.
His performance marks his third double-double of the season. She now has a double average for the season with 13.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.
1️⃣9️⃣ points in the first half means @aa_boston is in 5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ in his career … 11th fastest in the history of Gamecock (39 games) pic.twitter.com/DKdk9j3dRW
– GamecockWBB (@GamecockWBB) December 31, 2020
A balanced attack?
The Gators’ offense was virtually a one-man demolition crew against the Gamecocks. Gator’s top scorer, the senior red shirt Kiki Smith, only managed seven points in 3 of 11 shots with six turns, so second-year guard Lavender Briggs had to get up, and she did.
Briggs was the only Gator to score double digits, and she managed 23 points, six rebounds and three assists. Guards Nina Rickards and Danielle Rainey also found some offensive pace in the second half, scoring eight and six points, respectively.
Big stage, bigger performance 💪
Have a day, @lavbriggs 😈 pic.twitter.com/FDnXX4fXvj
— Gators Women’s Basketball (@GatorsWBK) December 31, 2020
As soon as the Gators started kicking the ball efficiently, they reduced their deficit. Florida lost by just 10 points in the third quarter and ended up beating South Carolina by 29 to 18 in the period.
Too much to deal with
Although the Gators led an offensive run in the third quarter, the Gamecocks’ attack was too much to deal with in the end. In addition to the 28 points, Aliyah Boston’s career record, South Carolina’s top scorer, Zia Cooke, added 26 points, with 18 of them in the second half.
The Gamecocks played with the lead throughout the game and, even after hesitating at the start of the second half, the advantage they had built was never in doubt.
A Team Analysis
Both teams fired at a similar rate, with the Gators scoring 24 out of 65 field goals (36.9%) and the Gamecocks scoring 31 out of 79 (39.2%).
However, the real difference came in the recovery. Although Staley’s team did not outperform the Gators by their average margin of 18.2, they still managed to get 12 more boards than Florida.
Gamecocks advance to 6-1 in the season and guarantee their first SEC win, while the Gators drop to 7-2 and 0-1 in conference games. In addition, the Gators still have a challenge from SEC opponents to contend with, including the ninth-ranked Texas A&M on the lineup.
Even so, the 2020-2021 season for Newbauer’s Florida Gators has been statistically one of the best since joining this team.